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Council approves two ground leases for telecom towers; neighbors raise health and visual-impact concerns
Summary
Council approved two option-and-lease agreements for wireless towers — one at Fire Station 22 and one at Water Treatment Plant 2 — while residents spoke at length about visual impacts and health concerns from cellular antennas.
The City of Palm Coast on June 3 approved two separate option-and-ground-lease agreements to allow commercial wireless carriers to construct towers at two city‑owned sites: the new Fire Station 22 (350 Palm Coast Parkway NE) and Water Treatment Plant No. 2 (50 Citation Boulevard). The council approved each resolution unanimously.
Lease terms and rationale: Staff and the city’s IT director, Doug Akins, said the locations were identified in the city’s wireless master plan the council adopted earlier in the year; both companies proposing the towers offered similar commercial terms including an up‑front construction payment ($50,000 from one lessee and $20,000 from the other) and a share of sublease revenue to the city. Wireless infrastructure proponents told council that the towers fill coverage gaps and support utility telemetry (reading meters remotely) and public-safety communications in parts of the city.
Public comment and concerns: Dozens of residents, many from the immediate neighborhoods around the proposed Fire Station 22 site on Courtney Place and along Colbert Lane, urged the council not to place a tower adjacent to homes and a golf course. Public speakers raised health worries tied to radiofrequency/5G emissions and asked about federal safety standards; others objected to the visual intrusion of a tall tower in a residential setting. Staff and council members noted federal jurisdiction over RF‑safety standards but also said they had reviewed siting options and restrictions for certain park and grant‑restricted lands and that some candidate parcels (Linear Park) could not host towers because of land‑acquisition restrictions.
Council action and next steps: After hearing the presentations and public comment, council voted to approve both option-and-ground-lease agreements. Staff said final site plans and lease exercises still require the option period and subsequent corporate due diligence; construction would follow only after option exercise and lease execution. City staff also committed to provide more details on final placement on the station site if developers proceed, recognizing neighborhood concerns.
Meeting context: The votes followed broader discussion across the meeting about public-safety cameras and sheriff integration. Council and staff emphasized the need to balance cell coverage and utility telemetry benefits with neighborhood impacts and asked staff to keep neighbors informed as plans proceed.
